Alfa Romeo Plans a BMW 5-Series Rival

Alfa Romeo has been aggressively expanding their model line-up, with the company vowing to introduce eight new models by 2020. Well, in addition to the Giulia sports sedan, the Giulia Quadrifoglio, and the Stelvio SUV – which have been introduced slowly over the last two years – Alfa announced another upcoming executive saloon that will rival the BMW 5-Series and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class.

Speaking with UK-based Auto Express, FCA Group CTO Harald Wester announced that Alfa Romeo is planning to debut a Giulia-based executive saloon in the 2018 model year. Although details are sparse at the moment regarding this new ultra-sleek saloon, Wester made it clear that the new model would directly rival the 5-Series, Audi A6 and the Mercedes E-Class, in both styling and performance.

Alfa’s Fast Expanding Model Line-Up

The Giulia-based executive saloon is part of Alfa Romeo’s € 5 billion product line relaunch, which has already seen the introduction of the Giulia sports sedan, the Stelvio compact SUV, and the Giulietta sports hatchback.

Wester told Auto Express that these vehicle launches are part of a concerted effort to develop fresh new vehicles that compete in the U.S. and European luxury car markets. The Stelvio will be debut later this year, followed by the Giulia-based saloon in 2018.

In addition to talking about Alfa’s plans for expansion, Wester also hinted at a few details that we can expect from this upcoming 5-Series rival.

For starters, the saloon will share powertrain components with the more compact Giulia, which is powered by 2.2L and 2.0L four-cylinder diesel versions. Yet, it’s likely the Giulia Quadrifoglio’s 505-horsepower 2.9L BiTurbo V6 will also be available in the yet-to-be unveiled saloon. Plus, Wester said that a diesel V6 and/or plug-in hybrid electric version may also be options when it’s released. In addition, the saloon will also likely share the Giulia’s transmissions, including an eight-speed automatic and a six-speed manual.

Plus, the Giulia platform was designed to integrate a number of state-of-the-art technologies. Fabrizio Curci, the head of Alfa Romeo Europe, also spoke to industry journalists about the upcoming saloon and said that the platform was engineered to support both plug-in hybrid and all-electric driving. Plus, Curci said that an all-wheel-drive version as well as semi-autonomous features would likely be introduced when the saloon arrives.

As far as pricing, details haven’t yet been released, but many are speculating the Giulia-based full-sized sedan will be in line with its rivals.

Maserait Alfa Romeo of Daytona: Your Home for Luxury Vehicles

It’s an exciting time for the Alfa Romeo brand in North America. Since the re-launch of Alfa in the U.S. and Canada in 2014, when the Alfa Romeo 4C coupe was introduced, the brand has continued to expand. And Maserati Alfa Romeo of Daytona is happy to be a part of it.

We’ll have the Giulia performance sedan available here, when it comes online in late 2016. It’s a powerhouse of sedan that hints at what we can expect from the upcoming 5-Series rival. The Giulia Quadrifoglio features a sleek, track-inspired four-door design. Upfront, the Giulia features the signature Alfa Romeo V-shaped grille, as well as sculpted headlamps and expansive lower air intakes. And inside, the sedan features ultra-elegant Italian design.

Yet, it’s the powertrain that’s the most striking. The Quadrofoglio’s 505-horsepower BiTurbo V6 achieved a Nurburgring Lap Time of 7 minutes 39 seconds, which bested a number of rivals. In other words, enthusiasts will love to drive this vehicle. It arrives in early 2017, followed by the Stelvio.

We expect the Giulia-based large saloon to debut at auto shows next year with a released date sometime in 2018. In the meantime, visit our Daytona showroom to see the latest Alfa Romeo offerings.